From: ldo@nz.invalid   
      
   On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:07:17 +0000, Pancho wrote:   
      
   > Readable /etc/passwd, including hashed password.   
      
   It meant that a program didn’t need privilege to verify that the user   
   knew the password for the account they were on. Quite a few programs   
   back in that era got used to being able to obtain the password hash   
   via getpwent(3).   
      
   I think it was Sun that introduced the (non-world-readable)   
   /etc/shadow file, and everybody else, reluctantly, agreed it was a   
   good idea, even if it broke a few useful programs.   
      
   That was the time I learned a new phrase: “dictionary attack” ...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)